Ps Reality
"''The Ps Reality is a strange and terrible place. There is no true geography in this cursed realm. Distance and time are warped beyond our comprehensions. The Ps set the stage, knowing a show is about to begin. Let us hope they do not become bored with the performance if such a thing is feasible." - Squad Leader'' The 'Ps Reality '''is an alternative reality of purely psychic energy. It is the source of the Warp and known instances of so-called "Warp sorcery" or "magic" as well as the home dimension of the Spectral Ps. Beyond the boundaries of physical space, unrestricted by time or causality, there is a dimension incomprehensible to mortal minds. The psychic energy that makes up the Ps Reality is believed to be the direct result of the Ps who ascended here in pursuit of true immortality in a realm of perfection, just for them under the promise of their father and leader, God-King of Ps. When the Pure Ps ascended and crossed over into the new reality, their combined lust for power corrupted the reality, turning it into a demented world of madness and apathy. Realm of the Warped Through the mere glimpses of mortal world, the changing energies are molded into a fantastical landscape and populated with twisted and broken beings. Timeless and ever-shifting, this damned world is a reality blocked off from our own, a universe devoid of consistency and unbound by the physical laws which govern space and time. It is a random, unstructured panorama of pure psychic energy, unfettered by the limits of physics. The Thinning Veil The barrier between our dimension and the Ps Reality is not equally strong across the known universe. In some places, the veil is thin, allowing the influence of the Warp to breach through. Such areas might be permanent or temporary, and could be of nearly any size, the result of random chance or intentional acts. Some are the side effect of great psychic activity, while others are a great effusion of powerful emotion or death. In the such instances the waves of the Warp batter the shores of reality, weakening the barrier between dimensions. Various disturbing phenomena can manifest in areas where the veil is thin, for the Warp and its influence are never predictable or consistent. Such places are often considered haunted or even cursed, for people might hear unexplained voices, glimpse movement out of the corners of their eyes, or experience nightmares or even visions. Clocks might run backwards, scanners provide inconsistent or contradictory readings. Individuals might feel a sense of wrongness that they cannot describe, random mutations also occur with each instant being worse than the previous one. Shapeless Barrens The Ps Reality has no physical dimensions and is without limits or true geography. Often referred to simply as the Shapeless Barrens, the Land of the Forlorn Ones or the Chaos Plains are those regions who don't fall into the dominion of the Chosen and their fellow Spectral Ps brethren. Much of the Shapeless Barrens is chaotically random, constantly churning and reforming: rivers of blood flow through petrified woodlands under green skies; great stairways lead into the heavens and reconnect themselves from below in an ever-lasting loop, pillars of tar gush high into the skies, castles made of ivory and fortresses of living stone stand amidst forests of waving limbs, and the departed spirits of the forlorn damned haunt the labyrinthine graveyard heaps. The Shapeless Barrens are home to wretched creatures created by the mad whimsy of the Spectral Ps. Most are lacking anything but the most rudimentary awareness and instinct, though some can posse comprehension and even true sentience. The Spectral Ps grown powerful enough to instill a small measure of control over their surroundings also create their own abodes in the Barrens, each of these small islands of structure is a petty domain in comparison to the vast realms of the Chosen within the Ps Reality. Struiaylan Swamps Amid the tangled swamps and fetid mires rise moldy ruins, mired temples to fallen deities, and whole cities full of blasphemous truths. Dilapidated avenues paved with crumbling stones, remnants of ruined empires, cut through these dense bogs, though they regularly succumb to unexpected floods of stagnant water. Through the sinking swamps are examples of the lands's countless ruins, overgrown temples and cathedrals, disparate crumbling monuments, and shrines upturned by the depraved whims of the realm's inhabitants. Most of these decrepit structures, emulated in their entirety from innumerable mortal worlds by the Spectral Ps, still hold artifacts and artistry from forgotten epochs, idols and icons of deities and divine forces from around the universe. The Forsaken Reliquary Jutting from amidst this primordial mire is the Forsaken Reliquary, decrepit and ancient, yet still standing despite regular flooding by the encroaching waters. This gigantic monument is in fact, an failed attempt to copy the Temple of Ipshumin. Twisted and unholy by design, the Forsaken Reliquary serves as the lair of the Mire's Warden, a particularly viscous Ascendant who has adapted well to the murky waters of the Struiaylan Swamps. The Maze of the Profaned Formed on the crumbling foundations of an ruined chapel, spreading out is a vast network of paths lined up with statues and monuments belonging to the countless faiths and religious dogma sprayed across the universe. All defiled and profaned with great acts of depravity and heresy. It was here that the once great prophet, Candypops came to rule over this damned world after his initial temptation by the Ipsinomicon and his falling out of the Gipsen Ones' favour. Lost and without his faith, he became easy prey for the Warp, which swallowed him whole, bringing him over to the Ps Reality, now largely abandoned by most since Reborn Isen's corruption, save for a population of Alphaies who remained in Ps Reality. Driven mad by his abandonment of those he revered, his servants and his loss of power, Candypops soon had his mind warped as his resentment festered into bitterness. In his madness, he took his frustration on the defenseless Alphaies. Utilizing newfound powers granted to him by the Warp, the once pure holy man became a corrupter of minds. The local Alphaies were no match for Candypops now known the "Dark Zealot", as he one by one corrupted them, enthralling their minds and binding them into becoming his new army of fanatical warriors, later radically altering the landscape to better suit his dark desires, in the end though he was defeated, freeing his victims and himself from his own madness. The tragic legacy of Candypops still remains though, especially in regard to the Maze of the Profaned, for within the dark heart of the maze, lies several statues of the Ips in Yellow, but badly disfigured, near unrecognizable. The statues stand as testament to Candypop's failure. He's choice to resort to hate and power when he should be understanding and humble. At the feet of these statues is a shrine, tended to by a mysterious being known simply as the Pale Emissary, an Ascendant that rules over a small group of Spectral Ps know as the Profaned, that conduct blasphemous rites in mockery of the faithful within the confines of the maze. The Poisonous Vale Within the Struiaylan Swamps, lies a remote expanse of otherworldly moorlands, notorious for its peculiar nature. The venomous bogs of the Poisonous Vale are the creation of two Ascendants, lovers and partners in crime. Jesebal the Fen-Queen, an extremely confident creature and Festerlord Zularan, a ambitious and cunning figure that rumor has it turned on his own master. When the two first met, they were foes but fell madly in love with one another. The two scheming rouge Ascendants later usurped control over the marshes from the local creatures with little effort thanks to their combined might. Yet fearing for the security of their newfound territory, the two concocted a grand scheme. Utilizing their powers, they condense a tidal wave of poisonous bile to flood the surrounding swamps, creating vast noxious moors that block access to their home. The two pleased with their achievement, were preparing to repeat the process but a hundred times more potent in order to expand their territory, but before they could do so, they hit a snag in their plans. The Manor of Deluded Lord On the outer border of the Struiaylan Swamps, is the Manson of Deluded Lord. The mansion is an ancient structure of sagging timber and broken walls, overgrown with crawling poison ivy and thick mosses. The lavish bronze now coated with a thick coat of verdigris, the ironwork rusted thanks to the humid swampy air and mats of lichen cover the cornices. Within these walls, a lord works tirelessly. Nacosec, the true master of the Struiaylan Swamps and the scholar among the Chosen. There he hoards unique texts and forbidden books written in obscure languages that detail delusions of the insane. The mad creature believes that by studying these works he will unlock some pattern hidden in the insanity of his brethren. Centuries of this kind of study has made the lord's speech and thought patterns quite abstract and byzantine, although his loyal servants seem to have no problems understanding him. Realm of the Bloody Reach One of the largest of the dominions of the Chosen, the Realm of the Bloody Reach. The kingdom of Kruzgun, the Bloody Master. No subtlety has Kruzgun. He has no yearning for beauty of form in his black heart, for he is the Bloodreaver, the Bloodtaker. His immortal frame has room only for rage and blood-lust. So it is that the land of the Bloody Reach is one of constant battle and bloodshed. It serves no other function, for to Kruzgun all else is trivial and meaningless. Little more than league upon league of blasted wasteland, made ruddy by the blood split upon it. Here and there jagged canyons and craters break the uneven ground: the aftermath of a titanic clash where Kruzgun's servants battled among themselves or against the minions of another Chosen. The blood-soaked realm echoes constantly with the bellows of battle and the clash of weapons, the cracking of whips and the clarion calls of innumerable brass war horns. The Blood Citadel The Blood Citadel is a structure within the Ps Reality, towering over the ageless desolation of Kruzgun's realm. The walls of this unholy bastion are jagged, thick with crusted blood and hung with gibbets and gallows. The moat of the brass citadel is filled not with water, but with the boiling blood of the victims of Kruzgun's conquests. Chained Khasmasu snarl from every parapet, hatred flashing in their eyes and boiling with bloody rage. The bloodthirsty Spectral Ps under the Bloody Master's command prowl the space between the outer walls and the keep, longing for fresh victims. Kruzgun himself resides within a great vault at the heart of the citadel's central keep. The iron pillars vanish into the ebony gloom to shoulder the inconceivable weight of the throne room's ceiling. Each pillar is inscribed with one of the commandments of the Bloody Master, edicts that speak to the virtues of rage, power and conquest. In the center of the room the Master of the Bloody Reach sits upon a mighty throne of brass rooted atop a vast mountain of spoils of war. The Desolate Bastion The outer realm of Kruzgun is surrounded by a titanic wall of the deepest red and blackened iron that stretches unbroken from one end of the horizon to the other. The Desolate Bastion marks the only entrance into his domain. Surrounded by pinnacles, columns, and arches of blood and carved bone, the Desolate Bastion is built as both fortress and prison. Damned souls, chained to the walls and steps in unbreakable bonds of spiked iron, scream and thrash at their imprisonment, hurling terrible epithets at anyone unfortunate enough to be of earshot. The steps are enormous and were never designed to be trod upon by mortal feet, for climbing them is more akin to scaling the highest mountain. The higher one climbs to reach the dizzying heights, the more horrors come to view. Gibbering voices can be heard speaking from the steps and walls, praising the name and deeds of the armies of the Bloody Master. The geometry of the stairs conforms to no logic or sanity and seems to twist and ripple into itself in confusing turns and gravity-defying angles as if to bewilder intruders. The Desolate Bastion boasts smaller landings, some of which are of such a massive scale that a castle could easily fit on them and still have room to spare. Spectral Ps and other creatures of the Warp dance and cavort here, gleefully battling and killing each other in a wanton display of blood and mindless slaughter in order to gain favor and please their master. At no point, however, does any traveler see another normal living creature or beast once they take the first steps of the Desolate Bastion, even the vultures of the warp and other scavengers avoid the apparent bounty of fresh corpses and dangling bodies that line its enormous walls and steps. The Bloody Meadows Journeying up the Desolate Bastion seems to take an eternity, the laws of time, cause and effect, and movement collapse under the weight of the Ps Reality. But still, there are those that somehow manage to reach the top of the bastion and find themselves again on flat ground, but this time within the inner realm of the Bloody Master, in the Bloody Meadows. Unlike the insanity of the Desolate Bastions, the meadows are neat and orderly, but still madding and utterly horrifying. The meadows of Kruzgun are lined with row after endless row of bloody corpses lashed to stakes. Sickly black flowers, engorged on blood, bloom from the corpses; they are “watered” through a series of aqueducts and ditches filled with bloody gore. Untold numbers of Spectral Ps are charged with the upkeep of these fields, vomiting blood on the fruits and fertilizing the terrible flora with flesh and powered bone. New corpses are planted every moment, with a tenderness and concern that seems so out of place in such a uncaring place. The whole scene is one of scarlet blood, even the sky unceasingly burns an angry red. The stench of such slaughter and gore intermingles with the sweet scent of the blackened flowers and their ripening fruit. The Stilltear Glacier A stark contrast with the rest of the Realm of the Bloody Reach, is a vast fort carved out of the heart of a snowy mountain within a huge glacier-ridden mountainous region that serves as the last stronghold of Skeghud, the Frost Hollow, who in fact once held dominion over the entirely of the land that would later be known as the Realm of the Bloody Reach. Till the newly emerged Chosen, Kruzgun and his armies defeated the Frost Hollow's followers and ousted control from him. From that time on, Skeghud hides in his frozen keep, blowing a storm of cold fury as he awaits the time when he reclaims what he lost so long ago. The Nest of Bones On rare occasions, the Chosen will act in temporary unison so as to thwart a common threat. It this occasion, that the other Chosen, fearful of Kruzgun's power, united to defeat him. Their combined forces miraculously, pierced nearly two hundred miles into the margin's of the Realm of the Bloody Reach, facing only minor resistance from surprised bands of slaves and warp-spawned beasts. The survivors, however, spread word of the coming of the army, and the bloodthirsty inhabitants of the Bloody Reach eventually raised a counter army nearly triple the size of the invading force. The two armies clashed on a desolated plain. The invading army was faltering at this point, as food supplies ran low, and the incessant cold weather sapped the will. A force of thousands Spectral Ps and war-thralls, bolstered by a throng of Khasmasu and Warp Specters, pinned the army train in a classic pincer move. The slaughter was unprecedented. In the end, not a single one of the invaders remained alive. As the flesh and soul was ripped off their bodies for the victory feast, the bones of the victims were tossed into a single pile, which rose high into the air. The bones remains to this day and is the nesting ground for a loyal servant of Kruzgun, Rasaphox, a fiendish scavenger that passes the time waiting for his victims to die before picking them clean, by tormenting them. The Chain of Rage A chain of immense volcanoes, constantly smoldering, girdles the land. Kruzgon's roars of rage cause the ground to quake, and each day the volcanoes spew out rivers of blood as hot as his anger. They hurl burning balls of gore and charred bone onto the lands of the weak. The Foundries of Brass At the base of the Chain of Rage are the forges and foundries. In these sweltering workshops powered by the fire of the volcanoes, weapons of war are crafted. All manner of axes, swords, hammers, and armor are created to supply the eternal wars of the Bloodreaver. Here, too, the components of Kruzgon's war-machines are made. The cogs, blades, housings, and armaments too, all were forged here. It is a dangerous place to reside, even by the standards of the rest of the realm. The Blood Pools Throughout the treacherous Bloody Reach, great craters are often gouged into the blasted plains. None can say if it takes moments or millennia for these pools to form, for time is meaningless within the Ps Reality. Eventually, the rage of the Bloodreaver swells in the form of storms that rain blood and bile, which collects in the pit and a new blood pool is formed. From these pools of blood, new minions of Kruzgon arise. Many lesser fiends steadily emerge, all to eager and ready to do their master's bidding. The soldiers that vomit forth from that pit will be charged from the day of their creation until the day they fail their master in combat with claiming more blood to refill their pit. Eventually a pit goes dry, but without fail, the cycle of bloodshed restarts. Land of the Absent Lord Considered the most treacherous of all the realms of the Chosen, the Land of the Absent Lord, dubbed for the apparent absence of a ruler, is a mishmash of environments. Most seem to have been taken upturned as if flung by gigantic and careless hands. The ruler of the land, Oberon has long since vanished from public eye, even his loyal servants and attendants are barred from seeking audience with him. Since then, unrest has swept through as rivals and upstarts hoping to take advantage of the chaos set their sights on carving up the now vulnerable dominion. The Abyssal Mire A dismal marshland with deep black pools and slimy reed beds. Sluggish, muddy channels wind through the mire, maze-like and unfathomable, darkened on either bank by stretches of twisted black stalks and gnarled dead trees. A large number of Kepzuns have made these brackish waters their home. The foul toad-men are actively trying to expand the mire, their combined presence and desire is actually influencing their environment, causing the once stable land to slowly sink and become flooded by stagnant waters. The Forbidden Forest Situated south of the Abyssal Mire, the Forbidden Forest covers the landscape with dark, forbidding trees of ill-favored aspect. This forest sprawl with a mixture of towering pines, black trees and a bleak desolation that sears the soul with its unending vistas of emptiness and despair. Feared by the Spectral Ps, Oberon himself was even said to utterly despise the forest which grew on the southern border so much so, that he declared it forbidden to his subjects. Ever since then the forest has become notorious for being dangerous and has since been infested with many types of strange and terrible creatures, the most prominent are the lurking Ausags. The Dregs Little more then wastelands, the Dregs are a hellish landscape. The land collapsing in on itself, gathering all lands onto one point of convergence. Townships, kingdoms and countries all drawn into the Ps Reality from the memories of the Spectral Ps. The Dregs are split into many, many petty fiefdoms, each ruled by a different master. Whether they rule through sheer force or through subtle manipulation, each realm is its own nightmare, and each is equally hostile to most life. The Dilapidated Settlement A once thriving community of Spectral Ps, with the sudden absence of their Chosen, the inhabitants soon found themselves helpless, as roving packs of mindless warp-predators began to besiege the hamlet and ether drove out or devoured the hapless Ps. Now it stands as a dilapidated township, infested with Warp Specters. The Ruins of Pul The city of Pul was the first to fall to the outside forces, the ruling Spectral Ps were overwhelmed and destroyed. The city fell into ruin, the powerful Hibaezu Gorzhoth has established his own personal kingdom amongst the ruins and is actively trying to seize more power. Lair of the Consumed Lord Originally an bastion of power for Oberon's forces, the Ascendant known simply as the Consumed Lord has taken refuge here after betraying his master and fellow Spectral Ps for power and his own gain. Driven more insane by his many acts of cannibalism, he lingers here alone in his self exile. The Crimson Colossus Across the whole of the surface of the Dregs only this structure remains relativity unchanged by the upset of power, a huge, pot-bellied idol of a Pure Ps This gigantic copper construction is hundreds metres tall and said by the Spectral Ps to be a gift from their forebears before their fall from grace. By ancient law, great praise and veneration was placed on the great colossus. Many Spectral Ps would often take pilgrimages to the Crimson Colossus in order to give thanks to their ancestors, in recent times though the number of pilgrims has trickled as enemies pour into the region. A small band of these pilgrims have encamped themselves around the colossus, hoping that the very sight of the massive statue would frighten off any wound be aggressors. The Leyward Stones One of the strangest places in the Dregs. The Leyward Stones take the form of a circle of stones monoliths, covered in complex graven patterns and shimmering white inlays. It is said that the Stones were erected at the order of Oberon. Their purpose is to listen to messages from the physical universe. Hearing of the chaos in the wake of his fellow Chosen's absence, Nacosec sent a small expedition to gain control over the Leyward Stones. It is his belief that the stones's purpose is more complex then what is believed and perhaps can offer some clues into Oberon's disappearance and his current whereabouts. The Black Palace Should someone be able to safely maneuver through and pass the Dregs, they will enter into the heart of Oberon's kingdom. The palace is one of the few constant geographical features. The Black Palace was once the home to Oberon and his personal court, serving as the capital for his empire. But with his mysterious disappearance, the Spectral Ps have mostly deserted the palace in fear of growing tensions and the threat of invasion. With cold and twisted spires, its towers forever stained, its gates forever shut. Only the most loyal of Oberon's Ascendants and subjects remain, patiently waiting for their lord to return to them. Accursed Malvania Forever cursed and damned, a depressing and dismal land of gloom and mist. Shrouded in mist and shadow, the land of Accursed Malvania is treated as one of the most loathed and feared realms of the Chosen. As befits its ill reputation, the realm is a desolate, gothic domain harboring all manner of grotesque and horrifying creatures. The land's master is the cruel Moegnoalag known as the God-Spirit of Strife, the King of Thralls, the Master of Souls, the Lord of Domination, and the Prince of the Accursed Ones. His dominion is founded on the spheres of domination and enslavement, with a desire to steal the souls of mortals and to bring them within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and doom through mortal realms. The Hungry Woods A foul Warp Specter-infested maze of thorns and bogs, in which the unwary are easily trapped. Those that venture beneath the contorted boughs do not return. Instead, they are doomed to wander until they are lost and crazed with hunger, forced to fall upon each other to feed, greedily feasting upon their own to survive. The Damned Laboratory A large city-sized complex used by Moegnoalag for his many horrific experiments. The building itself is an emulation of a old ruin, although the complex is crawling with insane test subjects, failed experiments and murderous guardians. The lab is run by the sadistic overseer, Jeorn the Gryff and several other Spectral Ps who greatly enjoy their work. Indeed, necromatic experiments concerning life and death appear to be the norm in the Damned Laboratory, as a great number of sicking trials and testing take place here. The Dread Forge Only the high supervisors the Dread Forge know the secrets of the alloy ice cold iron of which the great constructs are made from. The work here is difficult and dangerous, and most thralls last only a few shifts. It is a place of eternal torment and despair where unfortunate prisoners work the forge, manufacturing weapons for the forces of Moegnoalag. Haalgenzti's Cradle Serving as the home and laboratory to the alchemist Ascendant, Haalgenzti. A obscene mixture of fortress, breeding pit, and prison for the monsters created within. Here, Haalgenzti uses the fleshshaping techniques he tortured out of his former captor Traogge to create terrifying monstrosities and hideous creations. He is not alone in this endeavor, as Haalgenzti's Cradle now serves as home for dozens of his apprentices each conducting their own foul experiments. The Skull Moon Overlooking all of Malvania, silently watching, hanging is the form of a bloated skull-faced moon. Some believe that it is a sentient and cruel moonlet that looks down upon the land, judging the damned souls, others think that it is the actual eye of Moegnoalag, who tore out an eye of his and cast it high up into the sky as a means to survey his realm. Castle Varghoylf Built on top of a massive cliff from where it dominates the surrounding eerie forest. It has four mighty towers and a gigantic central keep, beneath which are a huge number of mausoleums, dungeons and torture chambers. Secret passages run all the way through the cliff and come out in the nearby woods. Reputability to be the home to the eccentric Count Vargkin, a rather weak Ascendant who rules the poor village of Varghoylfhem with an iron fist, tormenting the villagers at his leisure for personal gain. Varghoylfhelm Found at the edge of the forest surrounding Castle Varghoylf, relatively poor, with dilapidated walls and inhabited by villagers ripe with fear and distrust. The village is one of the few holdouts for the remaining Alphaie population, the village is regularly terrorized by Count Vargkin and his lackeys. The Cavern of Trophies When a soul become too worn and decrepit for any further labor as thralls, they are often set loose to run through the wilds of Malvania as prey for the Spectral Ps and any other predators of the warp. The victors in this sport bring the remains of their victims to the Cavern of Trophies. Scores of trophies adore the cavern's walls, each symbolizing a victim claimed by the Spectral Ps. This practice has become somewhat of a rite of passage for those young Spectral Ps wishing to rise up in the ranks. Alesar's Web Within the confines of a decrepit ruin, is the dwelling of Alesar. A powerful Ascendant and former mistress of Moegnoalag. Once the favorite of her master, he quickly grew bored and discarded her for another. Within her new home, she weaves a web of deceit and sorrow, trapping victims to use as playthings for all time. The Farces Show Perhaps one of the most infamous locations in Malvania is the home of a powerful Ascendant known only as the Puppeteer. This creature and a coterie of other Spectral Ps created a baroque and twisted landscape built entirely as a theater. Called "The Farce Show," consists of ever-changing views of stages, stadiums, and amphitheaters. Connected to the others by gravity-defying corridors, twisted staircases, and spanning tunnels constructed at impossible angles. Inhabited by seemingly endless rows of silent observers surrounding each stage. The audience is rarely known to move or speak, their purpose focused upon the players and the scenes acted out on stage. The Puppeteer takes great pleasure in putting on elaborate pantomimes that mimic foibles and tragedies of the past. The Snow Petal The Snow Petal, an ancient steamer in the middle of a sucking swamp, held captive of the stagnant mud. ''The ghosts of its former passengers and crew are said to still linger here, the creatures of this accursed realm dare not venture here for fear of displeasing the ghostly residents. The Groaning Warehouse Here lies the remains of what appears to be a wear-down warehouse. Dwarfing its surroundings, the massive storehouse can often be heard creaking and groaning as if it were crying out with the anguish of the laborers that once toiled their lives away here. Driftweed Fort A rundown fort at the heart of a wet ridden marsh, the outpost represents the last free remnant of the Alphaie people in all of Malvania. The fort's defenders are constantly battered by the swamp beasts, the twisted souls coming from the Damned Laboratory and other minions of Moegnoalag. The Penitent Wrack A great rotted willow tree, here hanging from its gnarled branches is the once mighty Vothennos. In his heyday, he was one of Moegnoalag's most trusted lieutenants but a string of blunders on his part have earned him his master's ire. As punishment, his now broken body hangs here for his failure in service to the realm's dark master. Despite these setbacks, Vorthennos awaits his return to power, swarms of flies attracted to the stench of his own rotting body fly around him, waiting to follow their new master's call. Soul's Torment Citadel Moegnoalag's macabre palace serves both as a fortress and as a temple to himself. In all of Malvania, no place is more feared then here. Within these halls, his enslaved minions are made to suffer. The citadel is inhabited by some of the strongest and vilest of the Moegnoalag's minions, a great army of the living dead standing between their dark master and those who seek to dethrone him. The Scintillating Plateau Of all the outlandish landscapes to be found in the Ps Reality, Calophast's domain is the most bizarre and incomprehensible to mortals. His realm is woven from the raw fabric of the Warp itself. The Scintillating Plateau, as it is known, is an immense iridescent plateau, its mere presence felt across all of the other realms. Shifting avenues made from crystal-rock marble and light of every colour criss-cross the realm. Secret pathways built from dreams and lies infiltrate the dominions of the other Chosen, binding together the fractious Ps Reality the better to direct them to Calophast's will. The Plateau itself has no formal warriors defending its reaches, for the battles here are few and far between. Woe to the rival creature who strays into its reaches, for such simple creatures never last for long. The Scar of the Blighted Toad A small, fungi-encrusted vale. Generally avoided by everyone, this valley of gray stone is said to be the home of a peculiar obese Kepzun that strikes terror into even the stoutest warriors. The Kepzun's own bloated weight has made it incapable of movement, its origins are unknown and its mere presence on the plateau is an anomaly. The Crystal Abode A squat, dome like structure of crystal, the lair of the enigmatic Spectral Ps known simply as Uthemiel, a lowly Ascended who has managed through sheer willpower to elevate into one of the Ascendants. Despite this feat, he wants even more and desires to return to the physical plane. Those that venture into his abode, find themselves in a battle of the mind. Its glittering corridors reflect not only light, but also hope, misery, dreams and fears. The Crystal Abode does not merely reflect but also distorts, pulling apart aspiration and purpose, turning it to madness and obsession. Its Uthemiel's own madness, his obsession with locating a suitable host body so that he may finally free himself of this trapped existence that is the Ps Reality. The Pit of Tiazuumluul A great chasm splits open across the Scintillating Plateau. The land surrounding it is quite dull, segmented reeds swept by strange gales. The pit is the home of the Tiazuumluul also known as She Who Drinks Deeply, the Lady of the Deep and the Deep Drinker. Tiazuumluul is a ancient creature, once ruler of the Scintillating Plateau before her son, Calophast usurped her. Imprisoning his mother deep in the earth. In order to stave off her ravenous thirst for life. A small obscure sect of Spectral Ps cling to the rim of the chasm, they give praise to the former Chosen and on rare occasion they will give offerings to the pit, dropping sacrificial victims down and into the waiting maw of their thirsty lady. The Mountains of Lies Rising up are the chain of jagged crystalline mountain ridges. The voices of liars, cheats, con-men and deceivers bellow fourth from the mountain tops, drowning out one's own voice and muddling thoughts of reason, twisting them into doubt and paranoia over treachery and falsehood. The Spectral Ps who make their home here, are driven by the same paranoia that affects the mountains. Many become outcasts and loathe others, preferring the company of the voices believing them to be the only ones they can truly trust. The Fog of Illusions A boundless prison for any who foolishly become trapped in it. The fog is rumored to be actually a living entity created by one of the servants of Calophast that infects the minds of individuals, effectively driving them insane by imprisoning them in endless illusions born out of their own dark memories. The Liar's Cairn An enormous cairn of quarried crystal-stone blocks, guarded by the Keeper of the Liar's Cairn, a monstrous large crystal studded-skinned Ascendant in the service of the Architect of Lies. Bound to maintain the cairn until the end of existence itself. The Library of Falsehoods Libraries are known as places of learning and enlightenment, where those who seek truth may be able to find it. A library in the Ps Reality is a place of indoctrination and falsehood, where one will find only the truth according to the will of Calophast. The Unthinkable Keep At the heart of the plateau, stands the Unthinkable Keep of the Architect of Lies. As with all of Calophast's designs, the exact appearance of the Unthinkable Keep varies according to the nature of the beholder's aspirations. Some perceive it to be crafted from the same crystal as the plateau, whilst others see walls of blazing blue light or gnarled azure stone. No matter the material, the physical structure of the Unthinkable Keep is a deceiving thing. Twisted crystal spires and towers of light writhe and burst from the majestic keep's core. These exist for only a heartbeat before they shimmer and disappear, only to be replaced by new and ever more maddening architecture. Gates, windows and beckoning doorways yawn like hungry mouths in a tornado of dislocated angles before shutting moments later. Different passages and rooms obey different physical laws. One might wander for days or even weeks inside a chamber no larger than a thimble, or traverse miles within a single step. Gravity shifts and changes, or disappears altogether. Those who succumb to the treacherous nature of Calophast's home become lost, often returning unexpected as mindless shells of their former selves, their minds utterly warped by the Architect of Lies's sinister power. The Scuttling Domain A bleak and forbidding land that is as unforgiving as the Spectral Ps who have it their home. The realm is all covered and shrouded in with illusion and shadow. The realm's ruler is Namnera, the Spirit Shadow, the Lady of Bleakness and Mother of Blessed Blackness, is the lady of sundry and shadowy spirits. Umbral Depths A putrid stream originating from the Struiaylan Swamps that breaks through into Namnera's dominion creating a moist, fecund environment which is the perfect breeding ground for countless varieties of fungi, oozes, and vermin. Several tribes of Kepzuns have settled here, carving out several tunnels that soon formed a perilous flooded labyrinth that even the local Spectral Ps refuse to go. The Lightless Lighthouse A ruin that appears to be a replica of the Lightime Turnpike, at least on the outside. Specifically built to hold entities who can manipulate light. The wardens of the Lighthouse are careful to use only lights of the colder spectra, as these are less susceptible. Within the cells are countless Sezonians and others of their ilk who has been swallowed up by the Warp and brought here to face deprivation of their precious Light. The Ebon Forest Trees of eternal stone and chasms of echoing emptiness fill this shadowy place. Consisting of endless tracts of dead, grey, petrified trees set in a desolate, darkened land. Dol Nadar A sinister and foreboding place, built at the bottom of a cold, dark canyon and completely surrounded by mountains of bare rock that stretch high into the air. It is a fortress permanently in shadow, for its walls are soaked in eternal darkness. A place of twisted and impossible architecture. Its five black towers rise from the canyon floor like gnarled fingernails. The master of Dol Nadar is only known as Nebel, an enigmatic being constantly wreathed in smoke, with only flashes of his cloak and crimson eyes visible. The Temple of Crawling Shadow A squat, windowless stone building surrounded by standing stones. It is the home of Nyarzhul, the Shrouded Ritemaster, who lurks the the darkness that envelops the building's interior, waiting for sacrifices. One of the Lady of Bleakness' most loyal servants. The other Spectral Ps are said to both revere and fear the Shrouded Ritemaster, treading carefully when venturing close to his home. The Hinterlands of Namnera The areas of the Scuttling Domain that manifested the dreams and nightmares fueled by Namnera's madness. These infected areas seem to unnaturally gravitate to any mortals traveling through her domain. Umbra Labyrinth The home of Brydub, the Umbra Lord. Raised by the Umbra Lord, the Umbra Labyrinth is a lightless, steel labyrinth of hopelessness and suffering. From the outside, it appears as a great obsidian wall jutting out from the ground. Almost nothing is known about the Umbra Labyrinth's interior. Neamond Neamond, the City of Shadow or the City of Chilled Darkness, is one of the largest of the Spectral Ps' cities. Its outer walls form an imposing circle of jagged black stone, in no place less than a hundred feet tall. About the ramparts are a set of hundreds of towers, each rising as high above the battlements as the walls rise above the bare rock. Behind its impenetrable walls, the city is a jumble of mansions, barracks, temples, towers, and crooked alleys, all swathed in a perpetual pall of shadow. Through chill frozen twilight, few walk carelessly through these streets. For Namnera tolerates any and all deeds, save for those that inconvenience her rule. For those held in higher positions of authority, there is also danger. In the center of the city lies a maze of palaces, ramparts and towers. Neither torches nor lanterns are permitted within. Many of these rooms and passageways lie entirely in gloom, and others are dimly lit by the dark glow of accursed sigils. None are safe for the shadows themselves have ears and report everything to their mistress; the Lady of Bleakness. Pleasure Kingdom of the Dark Prince Azuphidiaz is the Prince of Excess, dedicated to the pursuit of earthly gratification and the overthrow of all decent behavior. He thrives on hedonistic decadence, taking on slothfulness to lust. The prince originally started off as a lowly peon, eventually ascending to his current status as one of the Chosen through seduction, beauty, cruelty, and sadism, fields that he excels in. He seeks to increase his power past its current level as well, his thirst for power as claimed a many victims, including several former Chosen. Though he is one of the youngest of the Chosen, he is also one of the most dangerous. Few of the Chosen welcome intruders to their empire, but Azuphidiaz loves to tempt visitors to his dark domain. Those that dare enter his territory risk becoming trapped in its warped delights for all eternity. Land of Avarice The Land of Avarice forms the outermost boundary of the prince's domain. The temptations within its borders seek to awaken an interloper’s sense of greed. Golden coins and ingots, precious stones are sunk deep into every wall, and gilded sculptures line every path. Wretches attempting to count the innumerable gold coins, only for the mountains of gold to come toppling down onto them and the cycle repeats inside. Here are gilded statues of Spectral Ps and mortals, to lay but a finger upon Azuphidiaz’s statuary is to join it, your consciousness rendered immortal, but forever trapped in an immobile golden cage. Sylvan Woods of Gluttonia and Carniva A seemingly idyllic woodland but, on closer inspection, there too deviancy in all its forms is being played out. Rivers and lakes of dark wine spring fourth, bubbling to the surface. It is here that the Bloated Man, a servant of the Dark Prince that holds his feasts, a squat, morbidly-obese man, with pasty, white skin and a wormy mouth flanked by heavy, dripping flesh. Those who join in the feasts, are soon reduced to bloated and obese masses of flesh, their bodies split open by physically strain of over consumption. He is not alone here though, for his sister, Lady Cara dwells among the memorizing verdant wilds and blissful fields. Leading an menagerie of beautiful minions as they seductively offer a sample of fleshly pleasures to uninvited guests. The Playground of Paramountcy This region of the Dark Prince's kingdom is filled with temptation with absolute power and all its application. It is here entire nations and empires have been formed, full of humanoids and other fantastic beings. Armies so vast in numbers that they cover the whole landscape, waiting in anticipation for their orders of conquest and of vassals to rule over and obey without question. If a single silver of desire for personal power within one's own heart, then this place where every whim is obeyed, and every command fulfilled. Yet there is eternal, nagging paranoia for those to remain here. Here many of Azuphidiaz's followers vie for power, a matter that he finds utterly delightful and he has favorites. There is Libicca, the Prideful Queen, who desires to being utter humiliation to her rivals and make them her slaves, Scarabial, a wild and spiteful thing that intends to ravage everything and everyone, Dsetmira, an powerful Ascendant that has already conquered ten other kingdoms, Barb, an unusual being shrouded in red skin and finally, Kruualath, who speaks of words of sense and peace only to torture his victims. The Garden of Azuphidiaz Taking some inspiration from Pherua, the Dark Prince as molded himself a garden of maze-like corridors thick with flowers and thorns. The mazes are inhabited by vicious beasts ranging from hungry specters to flocks of khasmasu. Azuphidiaz is known to set prisoners loose within the maze's tunnels before proceeding to sick his pets to hunt them down. Countless innocent victims have spent their final terrifying hours within the maze being hunted down. It is said that the Dark Prince has his own herd of specially bred Ausags, within the maze. On the rare occasion, he hosts a contest where an unlucky victim is chosen to the be hunted down by the dark prince himself. The victim is subjected to seemly endless torture as the lithe creatures sadistically play with their new toy at their master's whim, and at the peak of such torment, will they be judged. Those that give him good sport are given a quick death, and he creates a new Ausag after the victim. Those that do not are denied a quick death, instead being left to the tender mercies of the dark prince's herd, until the sweet release of death occurs. Cavern of the Craven A vast cavern directly below Azuphidiaz's garden, the roots of the garden intertwine into small caves that wind deeply into the earth, connecting both. It is here that Nakhiguss the Great Wyrm lies, once a simple sythnorm, the Dark Prince took immense pleasure in breaking the great beast's will, over time Nakihguss' mind, body, and soul were stripped from him, and he now serves his sadistic master. Laying in a great underground lake fed by the waters of the creature's former home, the Struiaylan Swamps. The Great Wyrm has been tasked in overseeing the cavern in case any one stumbles down from the garden into the cavern's depths. Those that do soon find themselves being hunted once gain, as Nakhiguss has a lust to cause the same hideous pain that had been inflicted upon him. Victims are subjected terrible torture, leaving those that are able to survive to become just as craven as the Great Wyrm. This cavern wasn't always belonging to Nakhiguss, originally it was ruled by Vrazaxus, a gigantic bat-like Chosen that sucks the souls from victims with his proboscis tongue and was the patron to the Khasmasu. He is the latest of the notable victims of Azuiphidiaz. The Dark Prince seduced and killed him, many of Vrazaxus' servants grudgingly transferred their services to him. While some maintain their loyalty to Vrazaxus, relocating into the deeper tunnels which are filled with the detritus of bats. There they plot to resurrect their old master. Den of Baelashtu A sprawling, partially-organic complex, made out of dark steel, pulsing flesh-bricks, spires of jagged bone and tough organic membranes. This massive building is believed to the decaying corpse of Baelashtu, a Chosen and another one of the Dark Prince's conquests. Known as the Warp Mother, Baelashtu was unique among the Spectral Ps and even her fellow Chosen. For she had learned the "art" of creating life from their father, whom she had taken during his banishment from the Ps Reality. Once she coupled that knowledge with the use of her own body to gestate new life, giving birth to many monstrous and hideous aberrations. It was her power, that drew Azuiphidiaz for he greatly wished to twist life into his own monstrous vision of beauty. As is his custom, he seduced Baelashtu and murdered her. Despite this he was unable to usurp her power, so instead he tried to gain control over her children, but their loyalty to their mother was unshakable and unbreakable. To this day, her corpse is zealously guarded by her offspring against the forces of the Dark Prince. The Fecund Mound An egg-shaped mountain adjacent to Baelashtu's body, which first expands outward and then narrows again. At its top is a wide caldera, which constantly overflows with a black, churning, roiling amniotic fluid and quivering chunks of organic material float on the surface. The local Spectral Ps believe that the Fecund Mound is the womb containing Baelashtu's unborn child. They regulate the fluid, attempt to accelerate and shepherd the impending birth of the child, they understand its power, and hope that it will reward them by elevating them as its favored emissaries when it finally bursts forth. The Sinful Gap Once a favorite place for Baelashtua's get, they would capture victims and bring them here, to mate with them. Once Azuiphidiaz slew Baelashtua, he sized control over this area, reshaping it to his dark design. It is now riven by a deep chasm where a cloud of strange narcotic gas roils out and spreads out. Creatures that inhale the gas experience side effects depending as the area cycles across different sins: sloth, lust, wraith, greed, and pride. Glade of Oaurgnazo A dense forested land with needle-like towers and hideous trees that seem to be composed of living, mutated flesh. The area is a breeding ground for all manner of horrid monsters, mutated beasts, and Spectral Ps of bewildering forms. The very ground itself is literally pregnant as it heaves and twists, vomiting forth misshapen creatures. The caretaker of this land is Oaurgnazo, son of the late Baelastu herself. He has taken the mantle from his mother and christen himself the Warp Father. Using some knowledge passed down from his mother, he has fathered an entire army of creatures born from the fecund depths of his glade. Fisher's Pond A mist-filled grove of trees at the center is a pond of gray tinted water, here is where once the Chosen, know simply as the Fisher inhabited this misty grove. The Fisher was the weakest of the Chosen, with scarcely any minions, let along with any real power. He did however have a deep connection with the material world unlike any of his brethren, using the waters of his pond to drawn in victims from the physical world into the Ps Reality, they would wash up onto the pond's banks only to be ensnared and consumed by the Fisher. Azuilphidiaz made sure that the Fisher was his first victim, disguising himself as a new victim for the Fisher, he was able to get close enough to attack, the Fisher surprised at such a reaction was easy prey and so the Dark Prince devoured him, though some say an aspect of the Fisher accidentally was able to reach his pond's waters and escape to the other side. In case he ever returned, the Dark Prince installed a trio of Hibaezu to watch the well, the trio has since proved so far successful, but he has kept them on a tight leash. The Ticking Clockhouse The Chosen, Miomohr also known Clock Maiden had a penchant for clocks. Her home was a immense workhouse, filled to the brim with clocks that constantly keep ticking. Hundreds of servants tended to them under the supervision of Miomohr's guards. For it was Miomohr's belief that not only clocks can tell time, but can also influence it. Azuilphidiaz was able to draw the Clock Maiden out of her dwelling by breaking one of her clocks, this drove her into a rage which proved her undoing and the Dark Prince claimed both her life and her property as his. Now the clocks have been broken by the Dark Prince's orders as he finds little use or amusement from them, and now chaos reigns as time itself has fractured inside the Clock Maiden's former home. Realm of Resori The Realm of Resori a peculiar one, and not truly understood by any mind save perhaps that of the Lord of Illumination himself. The realm was once as multifaceted and ordered as a finely cut gem, a place of symbolism and perfection, inhabited by those elevated to higher thought by the very nature of their home. Since, the reclaiming of the Ps Reality and the rise of the Chosen, Resori remembered his father's promise. The promise of a realm of perfection, so Resori set out to make the dream, a reality. Gathering among the disenfranchised masses of his fellow Spectral Ps, he gain a large following and soon was elevated to the rank of the Chosen, becoming the Lord of Illumination and thus he raised his realm offering the means to perfection for his followers. The tall pillars dotted across the sill deserts and silent plains were once legion, each topped with one of Resori's followers seeking enlightenment through self-denial and asceticism. Yet these places have since been layed low, and those pillars toppled, by the anarchy and chaos visited upon the realm by the ravages of Azuiphidiaz. His conquest of Resori's realm was far more insidious than of Vrazaxus, Baelastu, Fisher and Miomohr. With unbound progress and success coming easily to the disciples of Resori, the towers and pillars were raised high. Many becoming so enlightened and pursuing their arts to such refinement that they transcended mortality entirely. So it was that the most advanced minds became far removed from the concerns of all others. Others, however, found their personal weaknesses brought out into the light by the power they held in their hands. The lure of pride and the pursuit of perfection blended together to create a spectrum of unhealthy qualities. They become more self-centered and arrogant, as they reached for ever greater leaps of mental agility and understanding, their quest became more akin to an addiction. Such obsession drew the unwanted attention of the Dark Prince, whose influence found its way into those who dwelt in Resori's paradise, and his corruption of Resori's land set in. Azuiphidiaz visited Resori and planted a seed of doubt in his mind, the Lord of Illumination could not overcome this and he fractured from the pressure, his land of logic and perfect order perverted into a still wilderness of broken dreams and shattered hopes. One that the Dark Prince was all but eager to claim for himself. Temptation's Chateau A fortress of Azuiphidiaz that sits as a testament to his vile, hedonistic whims. A unlovely place that stands in defiant triumph and arrogant pride, mocking Kruzgun's blood-crazed worshipers. It has repulsed untold assaults upon its cursed walls. Azuiphidiaz's chosen sycophants cavort and revel in unspeakable acts within the confines of the Chateau. For anyone unlucky enough to find themselves within its walls, the dynamics of the Chateau are a mockery of the genteel and courtly rules found in the noble houses of once feudal United Voltz Federation. Grant feasts and toasts are raised in dripping praise to their Dark Prince. The Palace of the Dark Prince Unlike the other Chosen, especially that of Kruzgun, Azuiphidiaz does not maintain a fortress or stronghold as such. Instead, his court is found inside a vast, shimmering pavilion of elegant spires where the every excess contrived by the Spectral Ps is practiced to the utmost degree. It is said that this terrible place heaves with such extremes of emotion and experience that it radiates with desire. To those able to make there way into the palace, they find themselves facing the Dark Prince himself, if they fail to resist, they will be doomed to be playthings for his twisted games for all eternity. The Overworld A floating, nation-sized island, a seeming idyllic paradise but on closer inspection is subtly and terrifyingly warped and perverted beyond words. Plants squirm, animals are mutated with unnatural deformities, and the pale-gowned people that inhabit the land are the damned, their mouths stitched shut with hungry worms to stifle their screams forever. The entire island appears as a cloud floating peacefully over the warped expanse of the Ps Reality, but in truth is a colossal knot of revolting worms that rain down on the lands below. It is the personal home of Typhonagor, the Wiseman of the Woods, the Hierophant and the Bearded Sage. Shrouded in a ragged old cloak, his features masked by impenetrable shadows, what parts of him are glimpsed on occasion reveal an alien physiology, even to that of the Chosen. He often walks hunched with a wooden cane, greasy root-like tendrils like a hermit's beard shudder out from the darkness surrounding his face, and his three glowing, alien yellow eyes form a pyramid shape. He is said to loathe order and the very concept of civilization in all its forms, he also extols the laws of nature, though twisted beyond recognition by the corrupting influence of the Warp. The Castaway Castle Even though most places in the Ps Reality seem not to be fixed to any one location, the Castaway Castle is truly uprooted and mobile. A curious place, held aloft in the twisted sky by a floating berg of blackened stone and sleek granite. A massive, mighty fortress, it floats along, at home amidst the clouds and constantly shrouded in mist. Its outer walls are thick and seemingly impregnable, designed to fend off almost any size of an invading army or intruder. Towers and manors of stunning size and craftsmanship loom high into the sky, growing taller as they get closer to the middle of the city. The place seems devoid of life, seemingly created by some indeterminate power, and then abandoned, forever floating about with no real purpose. The few trees within the city continually shed dead leaves, though none seem to ever lose them all. Tattered banners of some unknown origin, flap limply in the wind. Despite this, at the heart of place, is a monstrous secret; Saamar. A utterly bizarre Ascendant, who desires to become a full member of the Chosen. His very essence has bonded and having expanded to encompass the entire castle, becoming both his home and body.Category:Ps Category:Place Category:Dimension Category:Warp